“Are you sure this is what you want?” he whispered, skin like sparkling jewels that glittered the walls around him.

“I’m sure,” Bella responded even softer, almost without speaking, but knowing that Edward could hear her.

“Everything will change, Bella. Everything.”

“I know, but it’s what I want. I want to be with you.”

With his gritted smile, he asked, “Will you do something for me, first?”

“Anything,” she said without hesitation.

Giving her a glance that suggested, “Follow me,” Edward took her hand and led her into the dining room. There on the table, covering its oaken landscape draped in fine silk and linens, was a feast of delights — plate after plate of extravagant multi-course dinners with main and side dish fancies from every corner of the world, desserts arranged and tempting, wines and whiskies standing like readied soldiers around the outer edge of the table’s furthest reaches.

“I made this for you,” Edward offered. “I want you to have this tonight.”

“But…”

“Don’t say ‘no’, Bella. Don’t say ‘no’. You promised.”

“But…why?”

“Once you are turned, all of this, everything here, will be lost to you. You will never be able to taste or enjoy any of this ever again.”

“But I don’t care, Edward. I don’t. I just want to be with you.”

He motioned with his eyes for her to keep her promise. And she did. She took bits of this, and portions of that, all the while savoring the almost overwhelming deliciousness before her but working so diligently to hide it from Edward. She made her way around the table, and was met midway nearest the bottle soldiery by Edward with a whisky glass and two fingers of golden whisky already swirling.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“It’s Scotch. It’s The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old edition.”

“No thanks,” she said so quickly. “I’ve never had Scotch so I won’t miss it.”

“I know,” he urged. “Just try it. This will be your last chance.”

She took the glass and prepared to sip.

“Don’t drink, yet,” he said and slowed her hand. “First, what do you smell?” he continued and closed his eyes as if waiting for her to paint the portrait in his mind of what he so longed to enjoy.